No, joining a fraternity is not going to be your ticket to being President of the United States. Neither is it going to be your ticket to a seat on the Supreme Court, the CEO’s office of a Fortune 500 company or outer space as a NASA astronaut. Yes, a good many of the men and women who have served in these capacities were initiated into Greek-letter organizations (GLOs). Joining a fraternity or sorority isn’t going to be a fast pass entry to anything in and of itself.
By taking an oath of membership into a GLO, one is making, according to the definition presented to me by the google folks, a solemn promise about one’s behavior or one’s actions. By joining a GLO, a person is agreeing to live by the standards of the organization, to serve the organization with their time, talents, and treasures. The oath, I am certain, doesn’t have a time limit, i.e., for the first semester, the first year, or the time at college. Lifelong commitment is an expectation.
And it’s not what the GLO can do for the new member that matters most. It’s what the new member can do for the organization that bears the opportunities that make the experience worthwhile. Joining a GLO means extra obligations, it means attending meetings, paying dues, taking part in philanthropic efforts, supporting one’s academic institution and GLO, and the GLO system at large by being good, law-abiding, and productive citizens. In doing those things, one gathers the experiences and opportunities that make it a bit easier to become a famous member of a GLO. But having the GLO badge alone won’t do. It takes the whole experience, making the most of leadership challenges and becoming a better version of one’s own self.
